It’s the last long weekend of summer, and it’s so bittersweet! I’m happy the kids are going back to school next week, but I’m sad too. We’ve had such a fun summer, and what’s made it the most memorable summer ever has definitely been Our DIY Camper. I’m SO glad that we bought what looked like a piece of junk, and put lots of elbow grease into it to turn it into a comfy and cute camper for our little family. All of the blood, sweat and tears were worth it! Today, I want to give you a full photo & video tour of Our DIY Camper including a list of what we did and links to our materials sources. I hope you find this fun and helpful in case you want to do a camper renovation of your own!

Here’s what Our DIY Camper looked like when we bought it in May of this year:

Here’s a quick list of what we did to this camper over the past 4 months:

(Find a source list of the products we used & a video tour at the bottom of this blog post.)

First off, my husband Sean ripped off the entire back (kitchen) wall of the camper along with the floor in the back. There was extensive water damage in that area, so he replaced the entire thing with new wood and resealed the exterior. We managed to keep the kitchen cabinets intact, which was a miracle!

Next was all the painting. For me, this was the most labour intensive and frustrating job. The camper is small, but there are so many cupboard doors and nooks and crannies… it took a really long time! I think this step made the biggest difference in the look of the camper, though.

I painted the ceiling first, and then I painted the walls. I used leftover white latex paint I had in storage for everything. Finally, I removed all of the cabinet doors and painted the doors and the cabinets. I primed those first with an oil based primer, then I painted them with a latex paint, then I sealed them with Varathane. You can read more details on my camper cabinet paint job right here in the kitchen makeover blog post. The cabinets all got new, modern looking pulls which updated the look of the camper instantly!

I filled any holes in the cabinets (that were previously filled with fabric) with some decorative aluminum I spray painted.

Spray paint also came in handy to give all of the hooks, door knobs, table legs, and cabinet hinges in the camper a low budget makeover. Everything was originally a bright brass, and I spray painted them an oil rubbed bronze.

Next, I created a couple of faux barn wood feature walls with some inexpensive wallpaper. I made the mistake of putting one up without priming the wall behind it first, and soon learned that you need to prime a camper wall before you paper it! Another helpful tool is a dehumidifier when you’re renovating an RV – it can get so humid that things like wallpaper and paint can take forever to dry.

We put a new, comfy mattress in the “master bedroom”, and I sewed a little curtain for it.

To update the floors, I laid some wood-look vinyl plank right over the old linoleum. It was difficult to cut around lots of the angles, but I think the overall look is nice!

Some peel-and-stick tile on the walls in the kitchen give it a bright, modern look and I’ve been really happy with how this tile has held up this summer! I used a couple of hanging rods here and by the dinette for extra storage.

I covered the kitchen counter tops with some marble contact paper to add instant glam. They’re also holding up fairly well, though I don’t think I’d suggest using this method for a counter or table that gets more use than a camper.

Next, we replaced most of the lighting in our camper with new LED lighting found online, and I ordered this light fixture as a feature over the table. It’s a regular fixture that we hacked a little to make it shorter, and we added a special 12V bulb that was suitable for the camper.

Comments

This looks terrific, Christina! Just loved how you and your husband updated and modernized the interior using basic supplies and materials. The peel and stick options that are out there now are so lovely!

Gr8 ideas. Thanks for sharing. Yep – prep and the right equipment is everything when it comes to camping! Took me years to perfect our checklist and I recently put that on my site to help other fellow campers. Stop by if you like. Camp more, worry less. 🙂

Lindsay, the change is nothing short of awe-inspiring. And I think the help from your husband is what made this possible. I can’t imagine how daunting it would be to do this on your own just as you echoed here: “Next was all the painting. For me, this was the most labour intensive and frustrating job.”

Love what you have done to our old trailer!! So bright and fresh. Definitely a lot of sweat required to get it updated. Can’t wait to see what you do with the bathroom.
So many memories were made while using this unit with our boys. Enjoy making memories with your family!

I LOVE your RV Remodel, it is gorgeous, thanks so much for sharing! The link to your Butcher Block Table Top Desk isn’t working. I would love to use this idea in my trailer remodel but couldn’t find anything like it at ikea.com. Do you have a different link or do they not sell them anymore?
Thanks so much!!

Your renovation is a complete 360. Thanks for sharing. I plan on starting with painting my Class C just so I don’t have to see the cheap wood paneling. Definitely will paint it a white shade of color. Appreciated you sharing the paint colors: Valspar Ultra White, Benjamin Moore Simply White, Valspar Noir (lower cupboards). i will probably use the same as I have been wondering what white color to go with.

Hello, you did amazing!! I am curious about that light fixture over the table. Did you have to rewire it for a 12v bulb? I’m wanting to upgrade mine but am wondering how to be able to use a normal fixture with the rv bulbs? Thank you in advance!!

Wow! I even never thought I can organize our RV in a campaign this way! Yours is looking great and clean. I never did ours like you. But, in our next campaign, I will definitely follow your tips and hope will get an organized RV! Thanks, Christina for sharing such a wonderful idea!

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